Conventionally, personal electronic devices include a plurality of electrical components disposed within a housing. The housing may be formed of metal or a metal alloy, and may provide a ground or common connection for the components disposed therein (e.g., for shielding, antenna, or other components). Furthermore, the housing may include a plurality of tapped or drilled holes allowing for electrical connection to ground through the use of a complementary screw or bolt. Oftentimes, the screw or bolt may provide partial mechanical support including fastening of a component against a wall or surface of the housing. Further mechanical support may be provided with additional fasteners or adhesive.
However, as overall sizes of housings are minimized to reduce overall dimensions of personal electronic devices, access to sufficient thickness of housing material to provide an appropriate fastening force through the use of holes and fasteners becomes problematic. Furthermore, overuse or application of adhesives may hinder good electrical contact with ground. For example, as thicknesses of housing material are minimized, it may become impossible to apply any standard threading to a hole which allows engaging with the hole, appropriate fastening force, and good electrical contact to ground.
Therefore, what is needed is innovation in device housings which do not directly depend on minimum housing thickness to provide good mechanical support and contact with ground.